The Golden Snitch
by DangerousDreams
Summary: Just a small, not fantastic thing about the Golden Trio.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY.


A/N: Well, all I can say is that the reason this sucks is because I wrote it in an hour. I wanted to post it for Harry's birthday. And considering I have the attention span of braindead goldfish, I'm actually somewhat proud that I managed to finish it. I'll probably come back and redo it someday.

I still remember the Boy Who Caught Me.

Back in the shop, we used to talk, speculate, about who would catch us. Sometimes we'd even consult Madame Agatha. She was the oldest one of us, and she claimed she could see the future sometimes. She'd make predictions about who would catch us. No one knew if they ever came true, because the ones who left, naturally, didn't come back. I personally didn't believe it, so no matter how curious I was to find out, I never stooped to asking her.

We were created specifically for Hogwarts Quidditch matches, so we would mostly talk about which House we hoped to be caught by.

"I hear Ravenclaw's Seeker became ill, too bad really, they're a sharp bunch," we'd say, or "That new Slytherin Seeker, now s_he's _one I'd love to be caught by."

Then one year, the whispers and guesses became suddenly more excited than ever. "Did you hear?" "Hear what?" "Gryffindor… They've got a new Seeker." "And he's the youngest in over a century! He must be immensely talented!"

Every single one of us were secretly hoping that _this _would be the year we'd get shipped off to Hogwarts. We knew that they'd pick the best-looking ones, so we all started grooming ourselves more. Even if we weren't caught by this new Seeker, we all hoped that if we got to Hogwarts, we'd be able to catch a glimpse of him.

Imagine! A first-year Quidditch player, let alone a _Seeker_! It was unthinkable, but it had happened. He must be something really extraordinary…

And then, wonder of all wonders, it happened. One day, the big man who always came to purchase Quidditch balls came in, and looked us over with a critical eye.

"Hello, Mr. Hagrid. What are we looking for today?" Agmentus, the shop owner, came over and shook Mr. Hagrid's hand, then rubbed his fingers with a pained look.

"Jus' a Snitch, Agmentus. Got a big match comin' up next week. Slytherin 'gainst Gryffindor."

"Wonderful, wonderful," Agmentus murmured. "I just got in a new supply of Snitches; come see." He led the man to our display case, and we all seethed in anger. If one of those new Snitches got picked… They were all snobby little upstarts who didn't deserve to go Hogwarts. Some of us had been waiting decades.

"'Ow 'bout… That one?" Hagrid pointed at random, and I had to do a double-take. Had he pointed… to me? I felt hope well up inside me, unbearable, and my wings popped out. I zoomed across the display case to the front to look at this man. Agmentus reached inside and plucked me out of the case, where I could hear many an indignant cry, but also some of my old friends cheering.

I was going to Hogwarts!

Well, it may seem unbelievable. I'm still reeling from it myself. But I was caught by the new Gryffindor Seeker! I don't remember much of it, but- I blush to think about it- He caught me… In his mouth. It was so embarrassing! Something was wrong with the broomstick he was riding, and I could hear the broomstick shouting apologies and "I'm trying not to!" to Harry, as if he could hear our language. I had stopped, horrorstruck, to watch, and then he'd suddenly regained control. The Nimbus started cheering, and too late I realised he was heading straight for me. I tried to dart away, but he pitched forward suddenly, and then I was in his mouth! I was too stunned to move, and I felt us land and then he coughed me out into his hand. It all happened so quickly and right before he was lifted onto his teammates' shoulders, he put me into one of his pockets, lest I should fall out and be damaged. I know he wasn't trying to steal me, because we have that sort of ability to read people's emotions, as it were.

Anyway, I think he forgot he had me in his pocket, because after he got back to the dormitory, he just threw his Quidditch robes onto a chair and fell asleep. As it happened, he didn't have a Quidditch practice for a while, so I stayed in the pocket of the robes for a few days at least. But he ended up getting new Quidditch robes, and so just folded up the ones with me in the pocket and put them away. I grew fearful that the Boy Who Caught Me would forget all about me.

Then suddenly, months later, one day he must remembered about it, because he took out the robes, reached into the pocket, took me out, and looked at me quizzically. Something else was on his mind, I could tell, but I didn't know what exactly.

Anyway, we went down into the common room, where he put me on the table along with his summer homework, which he started. It was the end of the year; summer was here, and most of the students spent their time strolling about the grounds and starting their summer homework, waiting for exam results.

I now finally got a really good look at him. He had scruffy black hair, and the brightest green eyes. He was incredibly thin, and looked as if he'd never gotten a proper meal. No wonder he was so fast; he was tiny. He wore glasses that looked like they'd been repaired many times, and I could see a scar on his forehead.

His two friends, the one with the frizzed out brown hair and the one with the freckles and red hair, eventually joined him. They must have been eating dinner; I could sense the residual feelings of multitudes of other students on them.

"Harry," the female said. "Why weren't you at dinner?"

The Boy Who Caught Me shrugged. He mumbled something, continuing to do his homework. The male sat down beside him.

"C'mon, mate, you need to eat something. You didn't have lunch either."

He stopped writing, but continued looking down at the parchment. He was really upset now, and even the others could tell.

"Harry, we know it's going to be hard going back to the Dursleys', but we'll send you owls. We'll write. Maybe you can some visit one of us." The male put his arm on the Boy Who Caught Me's, and waited for a reply.

"It's not- It's not that." His voice was quiet at first. "Well, not just that."

The female started to ask, "Then wha-" but the Boy Who Caught Me cut her off.

"I faced Voldemort. I fought him. Twice." He took a breath, a shaky one. "And everyone expects me… Expects me to be great. I guess. But I'm, I'm not. I'm just a normal person. I'm not even good at schoolwork." He gestured to the parchment, littered with crossed-out words.

"And you know, people either assume I'm some sort of child prodigy, or they completely treat me like I'm nothing, like I'm dirt." He looked at them both then, eyes wide, tearful. "Why can't people just… I'm normal. And I wish people would treat me like I am."

The two looked at him, unashamed of his tears, and suddenly embraced him on either side. He almost flinched, but then relaxed into the hug, even putting a tentative arm around the two of them. In that one moment, I knew these two would stay with him, through thick and thin, and be his absolute best friends, and treat him like the wizard he was: completely, utterly normal.

He returned me to the Headmaster's office that day, and Dumbledore took me and put me in a display case along with many other Snitches, with a twinkle in his eyes. "So you finally remembered. Thank you, Harry. May you have a good summer."

The Boy Who Caught Me nodded, looking much happier now, and waved on his way out the door. I sighed. Now to stay in this case forever… But it worth it. I had the memory of the Boy Who Caught Me to keep me going for the rest of time.

The headmaster had performed some sort of charm on me; painless, really. I now contained the Resurrection Stone. I'd heard many a story about it, and now I knew they were true. I didn't really like the Stone terribly; it was very cold and didn't talk to me often. But I knew that there must be a reason for me containing the Stone, so I waited.

And I didn't have to wait long. Soon, a whole group of wizards came into the office, and grabbed several things off the shelves. They weren't very gentle with the objects either, and I could hear many complaints. They took me, too, shoving me roughly in a leather pouch. We Apparated into an official-looking building, where everything seemed to happen in a blur. Many tests and charms were used on me, presumably to try to get the Resurrection Stone. I didn't know why they wanted it, but I knew that only one person could get it: the Boy Who Caught Me. After about a month of this, I was finally reunited with him.

I was so happy to be back with him… He had really grown, and looked much more haunted now. His friends did, too. They stayed much closer to him now. They had shared a lot, and they hated to be separated from him.

Both of them went wherever he went, staying absurdly close to him. They would be almost pressed against him wherever they went, and he didn't seem to mind. He needed them, it seemed. They kept him going, kept him upright.

There was no doubt at all that they would come with him. They had no hesitation to travel with him, and even though they had to camp out, they seemed unbearably happy sometimes just to be together; the three of them. Even if they didn't realise it themselves, almost everything they did had an undercurrent of contentment.

But then… Then they started fighting. It started over little things, and the arguments didn't last long. Until suddenly they became vicious, and left both sides deeply upset. It got worse and worse, and I knew why. That locket they were wearing. Why didn't they just not wear it? It was hurting them incredibly.

Awfully, one of them left. The male. He had always seemed more emotional than the Boy Who Caught Me and his female friend. He left one night, in a stormy rage, and the two left seemed absolutely lost without him. They managed, but it was heartbreaking to see the way they went on without the male.

Eventually, he returned. It took a day or two to return to normal, but they did. Then, and only then, did they _finally _realise where the Resurrection Stone was. But they had no idea how to get to it, at least not at first.

And then… Well, this is quite embarrassing too, to tell the truth… The Boy Who Caught Me, kissed me. It was what made the message appear, but I still don't want to admit it. It was just so embarrassing!

Eventually, they figured out how to get the Resurrection Stone, and after that I was put into luggage and ignored for months. From inside the bag, though, I did hear what was going on. We finally went back to Hogwarts. I was tossed aside. I could hear the battle raging, could hear the booming voice talking about the Boy Who Caught Me, and I prayed that he was unharmed. Thank goodness, he was. In fact, he defeated his adversary, ending the battle. He was a hero!

It took a few days for the immediate things to get settled, and I was found and put in the Gryffindor common room, on the mantle above the fire, while everything was cleaned up. I'll never forget what happened one day. It was four days after the battle, and the Boy Who Caught Me stumbled into the room, exhausted and dirty. He sat on the couch, in the same spot he'd started his summer homework years ago, and stared into the fire. He wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man. He'd seen things people shouldn't see, had fought things people shouldn't even know about. And he was alive, and he was tired.

His two friends came in two minutes later, looking just as exhausted. They'd both grown up immensely. They took a seat on either side of him.

He looked at them, and without saying a word, they held each other. Just like that time at the end of his first year, they held him. This time, all three of them shed tears, and the female started outright sobbing. They all stayed like that, holding each other, for what seemed like ages. Then they broke apart, wiped their tears, laughed, and once more embraced.

A/N: Yeah… Sorry for that utter crap. I'm really sorry.

In case you were wondering, the Snitch was put in a display case with a little plaque describing how it was caught by Harry Potter, lalala etc.


End file.
